Rail-spike.



JV. P. LIMBERG n E. KOELLING.

. RAILSPIKE. APPLICATION FILED 00T.7,71s09.

Patented. June 28, 1910.

INI/EN T ORS Joh n/Lim berg WITNESSES:

iff? n /I TTORNEY.

-TOHN F. LIMBERG- .AND EDWARD KOELLING, OF MATSON, MISSOURI.

RAIL-SPIKE.

Speciication of Letters Patent. Patented June 28, 19M).

Application filed `October 7, 1909. Serial No. 521.601.

T o all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that We, JOHN F, LIMBERG and EDWARD KO'ELLING, citizens of the United States residing at Matson, in the county of St. harles and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Spikes, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention has relation to improvements in rail-spikes; and it consistsfin the novel construction of spike more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a cross-section of a rail showing the spike applied thereto and to the tie which supports the rail; Fig. 2 is a perspective of the spike looking against the bottom of the head; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the iispike on the line 8-3 of Fig. l.

The object of our invention is to provide a spike specially adapted for use in ties of oft Wood, and which, when once embedded -herein will be held in the body of the tic without danger of wearing loose or becoming Withdrawn under ordinary conditions of ip .i'l traflic.

The advantages of the invention will be best' apparent from a detailed description thereof which is as follows Referring to the drawings, T, represents a Wooden tie and 1t, a rail supported thereon. 'llhe spike in the present instance comprisesithe stem or nail portion l proper' preferabl rectangular in cross-section andter- Ininating in a bevel driving edge or end as usual,` The upper end of the nail terminates in a head 2 overhanging two opposite faces of the hail, one over-hanging portion (the shorter) being adapted to engage the flange of the rail when the spike is driven into the tie (F ig. l) and the other overhanging portion (the longer one) embedding itself to the depthA of its bottom transverse corrugations a into the surface of the tie.

Formed with the spike stem, and disposed on two opposite faces thereof (the faces extending from the sides of the head 2) are wedges 3, 3, whose bases incline toward the driving end of the spike, the inclinations being in opposite directions when viewed from one side of the spike. The faces of these wedges gradually merge into the faces of the spike, being at the same time provided with serrations or ridges to insure an effective grip on the fiber pf the Wood. When the spike is driven home, the comparatively soft and yielding fibers of the wood close over the bases of the wedges 3, and fill the recesses between the ridges b. At the same time the serrations a embed themselves into the surface of the tie, thus insuring a maximum frietional engagement between the spike and the wood of the tie, and preventing the spike from working loose.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim is:

A rail-spike comprising a stein having a driving end and an upper terminal head overhanging two opposite faces of the stem, serrated wedges forming enlargements on the faces of the Stem extending from the sides of the head, the bases of the respective wedges inclining in opposite directions toward the driving end, and the edges of the wedges merging with the faces of the stem on which they are formed.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

- JOHN F. LIMBERG.

EDWARD KOELLING.

lVitnesses:

JOHN D. Maren, YVILLIAM Sor-IAAF. 

